


To You, In 2000 Days

by CheeseFairyXXL



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence (starting after chapter 53), Angst!, F/F, F/M, M/M, Romance, Spoilers!, friendship!, more relationship tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2014-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-09 21:02:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1150757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheeseFairyXXL/pseuds/CheeseFairyXXL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When unbelievable events provide humanity with access to the outside world, the Scout Regiment sets off on a five and a half year expedition into the wilderness. Colonel Levi and his second-in-command Captain Jaeger must adapt to the changes of this world as they search for evidence of survivors - both human and titan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To You, In 2000 Days

Year 851 – Scout Regiment safe house

 

Eren yawned and stretched both arms above his head, enjoying the cold bite of crisp mountain air. He hummed a simple tune as he hung the squad’s laundry with particular care on the clothesline at the edge of the property. He knew that if one item of clothing was out of place, it would risk provoking Levi’s wrath once again.

 

Residing in the same castle as the Corporal had been one thing, but sharing a tiny log cabin with him and six others was another matter entirely. The space was impossibly cramped, and attempts to enforce Levi’s standards of hygiene were consistently offset by Sasha, who didn’t seem to mind any level of mess, and Jean, who Eren figured was used to having someone to pick up after him. The bastard.

 

That meant more cleaning for the rest of them, if they wanted to avoid the Corporal’s swift kick and sharp tongue. Earlier that same morning, after fifteen minutes of Jean loudly snoring a mere two inches from his face, Eren had decided to get up and do some laundry. Still brooding over yesterday’s disappointing experiment, he was desperate to earn points with the Corporal.  He was unable to push from his mind the image of Levi’s face as he had explained exactly how Eren had failed humanity this time around.

 

How Eren had failed _him_.

 

Shaking out one of Connie’s shirts with more vigor than was absolutely necessary, Eren tried to steer his thoughts in a more positive direction. Although he was frustrated at being forced to lie low during the height of recent tensions, he was also content to be surrounded by those he trusted and cared for the most. He understood the importance of maintaining group cohesion at this stage, despite the deaths of the Corporal’s former squad, and despite the sting of Berthold and Reiner’s betrayal. If anything, it was up to Eren, the squad member most involved in both events, to hold this new team together.

 

“They’ll never get dry that way,” came a voice from directly behind him, and Eren jumped a good foot off the ground, dropping Armin’s damp trousers in the process. They fell in the dirt, and Levi had the decency to look slightly apologetic before moving around the clothesline to the oak wood fence that ran along the property line. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the aging structure, and appeared to be watching the sun rising over the horizon.

 

“You’re washing those again.” It wasn’t a question.

 

“Yes, sir,” came Eren’s automatic response. He set the trousers aside and reached into his basket for the next clean item of clothing. It wasn’t until the rest of the laundry was neatly hung on the line that the Corporal spoke again.

 

“I want to… apologize for yesterday…”

 

Eren’s breath caught in his throat at this unlikely surprise. He began fidgeting uncomfortably, at a loss for an adequate response.

 

Thankfully, Levi continued before the silence grew too awkward. “It was wrong to imply that the fate of humanity was your personal responsibility. I should know better than that by now.” He turned to face Eren and leaned back on the fence, arms crossed and eyes guarded as per usual, even during this rare bout of candidness. After a long moment, he lowered his gaze just enough to break eye contact. “The responsibility is mine,” he said finally.

 

“That’s bullshit!” Eren blurted out before Levi could elaborate. He bit his tongue, hard, and felt heat rise to his cheeks, more embarrassed by his own outburst than he’d ever admit out loud. Levi examined him silently, the corner of his mouth quirked upward in the tiniest smirk of amusement. “I mean, that’s bullshit, sir,” Eren said, his eyes shifting around slowly, landing on anything but the Corporal’s piercing stare. He was rewarded with a single bark of laughter, and before he could refocus on the other man’s face, Levi was back in his former position on the fence, facing the sunrise.

 

“And why’s that? Enlighten me then, Jaeger.”

 

“Because you never asked to be the greatest,” Eren replied immediately. He had long since been prepared to have this conversation. “The same as I never asked to be a titan,” he pressed on, noting how the Corporal’s head tilted slightly in response, presumably to hear him better. “I never asked to be Humanity’s Last Hope, but that’s just the way my life has unfolded.” He took a deep, shaky breath, and when he spoke again his voice carried a great deal more strength. “However, I’ve learned that this responsibility is not mine alone. If I hadn’t learned to accept the help of my friends and allies, I would be of no use to humanity, and-- ”

 

“Jaeger--”

 

“I understand what you must be going through, Corporal, but it’s essential that you are able to trust us, to trust your team--”

 

“Jaeger--”

 

“I know it might be out of line, sir, but I really think--”

 

“ _Eren_ , shut _up_ for a minute.” Reaching behind him, Levi grabbed Eren’s arm and yanked his subordinate forward onto the splintery fence.

 

“Ow, what was that--”

 

“ _Look_.” Grimacing at the bruise already forming near his left elbow, Eren squinted in the direction Levi was pointing. “Lend your youthful eyesight. What am I seeing, exactly?”

 

“Um… it’s…” Eren raised his hand as a shield against the sun’s glare. “A horseman?” He looked over at the Corporal, inquisitive. No one was scheduled to visit, and the only people aware of this location were Commander Erwin and the members of Hanji’s squad.

 

Levi’s mouth was set in a grim line. “Whoever it is, they’re coming at breakneck speed.”

 

“What? Why?” Eren whipped his head around, squinting once more into the rising sun.

 

“Who knows?” Levi stood up straight and swung himself over the fence, Eren quickly following suit. “Let’s find out, shall we?” The Corporal marched forward in the direction of the intruder, Eren trailing behind him.

 

“Do you think we should wake the others first?”

 

“Not yet,” Levi murmured, his eyes intent and trained on the horizon. Glancing back for a moment, he told Eren, “Be ready to transform at my signal, just in case.”

 

Swallowing, Eren nodded, immediately worried that yesterday’s experiments had been a sign of  his deteriorating strength, and wondering if he could even complete a transformation at this point. The Corporal’s words rang in his ears, reminding him of his failures.

 

As if sensing his uncertainly, Levi added, “You’ll do fine, brat. Just don’t worry so much about it.”

 

“Right,” Eren agreed, his confidence instantly bolstered, his desire to please perhaps a little too obvious. As he turned back to their target, however, recognition hit him and he realized that there was something very, very wrong with this picture. “Corporal. Isn’t that--”

 

“Hanji.” Levi frowned. He slowed down and then stopped walking. Both men looked at each other with equally confused expressions before turning back to watch Hanji gallop her horse ever closer, a thin cloud of dust rising behind her, swirling against the backdrop of the morning sky.

 

\-------

 

“This is ridiculous, just tell me,” Levi snapped.

 

“No, not until everyone’s awake. Erwin’s orders are that I tell you all directly, and we don’t have time to go over this more than once.”

 

Eren followed the two squad leaders back to the cabin. Hanji turned and gave him a haggard smile. “Eren, how about you go get them? Dump cold water on Kirstein if you have to.” The evil glint in her eye was oddly reassuring in the face of this unexpected visit. Hanji and her squad had only just left the day before. Eren couldn’t even imagine what might have brought her back so soon.

 

By the time everyone was awake and focused on Hanji, the Corporal was at the point of glaring, arm-crossing, and foot-tapping. Some combination of two of these three angry-Levi-isms had been witnessed countless times by many of the Scouts, but seeing all three together was practically legendary.

 

And Hanji began. “We have no answers or explanations for what has occurred. According to general scientific principles, matter cannot be created or destroyed. These events have stupefied even the greatest of human minds, including my own. My understanding of titans over the years--”

 

“Hanji,” Levi practically hissed, outwardly seething. “We don’t have time for this.” He obviously had a powerful distaste for being out of the know. Eren watched it play out, noting the nearly imperceptible clenching of the Corporal’s jaw, and filing the information away for future consideration.

 

Probably for the first time in her life, Hanji cut to the point.

 

“The titans have disappeared.” She choked up a little, but straightened her spine and gave the room an emphatic salute. “They’re gone,” she managed to croak, sniffing audibly. “Every last one of them.”

 

\-------

 

Apologies for the short intro… but this is gonna be a long one. Set them bookmarks.


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